London's Walkie-Talkie Scorchie Tower Will Get a Sunshade

Those using the streets opposite London's infamous Walkie-Talkie skyscraper as a thrifty alternative to a tanning salon will be disappointed to hear that its developers are planning to erect a sunshade around it in an attempt to dampen the damaging heat rays it's been reflecting.

Now humorously referred to as the "Walkie-Scorchie", the curvy skyscraper hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons back in September when it was found to be baking nearby streets due to the way its glass panels reflected the sun. Passersby were being momentarily blinded, a journalist managed to cook an egg on a tile outside a building opposite and a Jaguar sports car reportedly started to melt as nearby surfaces reached temperatures as high as 92F.

With a temporary system in place to reduce the tower's reflective super powers, developers Land Securities are now looking to install a permanent "brise soleil" sunshade, an addition that apparently "will not interfere with the customer fit-out or occupation" of the building. Despite the sunshade, the tower, designed by Rafael Vinoly, should still hit its original £200 million construction budget estimates. [Sky News]